CIMP Monthly Report - January 2023

January 2023 saw highest civilian casualty count since early 2022
The civilian casualty count in January 2023 was the highest in a year, reaching 237 across Yemen. This was higher than every month last year, apart from January 2022, when 666 civilians were killed or injured, driven in large part by a mass casualty airstrike incident. The increase seen in January 2023 was also higher than the monthly average civilian casualty rate since August 2022 of 166. January 2023 saw a 75% increase in casualty numbers compared to December 2022, when 178 casualties were recorded. Of the 237 civilian casualties in January 2023, 44 were killed and 193 were injured. 53% of the countrywide civilian casualties were recorded in Sa’dah.

Sa’dah witnessed more casualties than all other governorates combined
Sa’dah accounted for over a half (53%) of all casualties recorded countrywide this month. The governorate saw a total of 126 civilian casualties, including 11 fatalities and 115 injuries, all in districts along the border; predominantly in Shada’a (24 incidents) and Monabbih (21 incidents), along with one incident each for Haydan and Qatabir. All but one of the casualties were the result of shelling and fire from light weapons, save for a single UXO incident in Haydan, which injured a child. Notably, at least 30 migrants were among the casualties reported in the border areas. In total, Sa’dah saw more casualties than all other governorates combined, the rest of the country having seen 111 casualties. Moreover, of 75 civilian shelling casualties reported countrywide, 65 were reported on the Sa’dah border, and of the 65 light weapons casualties, 60 were reported in Sa’dah.

Children and women accounted for nearly 20% of total casualties
44 children and women were killed or injured as a result of armed violence countrywide in January 2023, down from 46 in December. Of that number, there were 33 children, including 10 fatalities and 23 injuries, and 11 women, of whom five were killed and six were injured. In total, children and women accounted for almost one fifth of all civilian casualties reported in Januaryn. Ta’izz and Hudaydah topped the list saw the highest numbers of children and women casualties, with a third (15) reported in Ta’izz, and another 27% reported in Hudaydah. Half of the children and women killed or injured in Ta’izz were due to shelling, followed by sniper fire, while in Hudaydah, half of the children and women casualties were caused by ERW incidents. Countrywide, ERW accounted for 17 child casualties, more than half of the total child casualty count.

Hudaydah and Jawf saw two thirds of all ERW incidents
Landmines and UXO were cumulatively responsible for 49 civilian casualties, including 17 children, accounting for 21% of all civilian casualties reported countrywide in January. Hudaydah accounted for just under half of the ERW casualties, at 22, including 12 fatalities, followed by Jawf, where around a third of the ERW casualties were reported, at 13, although none were fatalities. Most ERW incidents in Jawf were on account of landmines exploding upon the passage of vehicles on desert roads linking Jawf to Ma’rib. It is worth noting that although the number of ERW casualties decreased slightly in January compared to December 2022, when 51 casualties were reported, casualty numbers remain within typical bounds seen in recent months.

Another 10% of casualties caused by SAF, all in dispute-driven and isolated incidents
Away from frontline hostilities, another 22 civilian casualties, including nine fatalities, were caused by small arms fire (SAF), accounting for 9% of all casualty numbers. This marks a decrease from the 29 civilian SAF casualties reported in December. Possibly owing to its proximity to active fighting hotspots and prevailing insecurity, half of the civilian SAF casualties were reported in Ta’izz, followed by Ibb and Hadramawt. Two women were the victims of SAF assaults by family members, while the remaining casualties were the result of civilians being caught in the crossfire between armed individuals, typically following verbal altercations. In another isolated incident, on 25 January in Aden, a hand grenade was thrown at a crowd in the Red Sea shopping mall in Al-Mansura, injuring nine civilians. The reason remains unclear. This is a high casualty count for a grenade incident; throughout 2022, hand grenade incidents were responsible for 81 civilian casualties, on account of 31 separate incidents, averaging fewer than three casualties pre incident.

Estimated 150 households displaced as result of incidents impacting houses
An estimated 150 households were displaced as a result of incidents of armed violence impacting houses in January 2023, including 126 on account of shellfire. This is a notable increase from December, when 43 civilian houses were estimated to have been impacted. When armed violence directly hits civilian homes, or areas in close proximity to residential spaces, the risk of displacement is high, along with the risk of harm to civilians, particularly women and children who are especially vulnerable when domestic spaces are impacted. By contrast, civilian infrastructure was spared impact during January 2023, compared to a relative spike during November and December 2022, when fuel, transport, education and religious sites were impacted.

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